


Blood Brothers

by sarken



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Bloodplay, Incest, Juvenilia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-30
Updated: 2003-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-23 04:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/246501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarken/pseuds/sarken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even Soda's blood is different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood Brothers

Ponyboy wakes up to the weight of his brother's arm on his chest. He can hear Darry in the kitchen, making breakfast, so he doesn't get up right away. Instead he looks at Soda and takes in the way the early morning light enhances Soda's beauty. It even hides the bruise from yesterday's rumble. Ponyboy hates seeing bruises and cuts marring Soda's skin. Darry, Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally look tough (tuff, even) with their battle scars; Soda and Johnny just look injured.

He rolls onto his side, facing Soda. His shadow falls across Soda's face and the bruise is again visible, along with a split lip that Ponyboy doesn't recall seeing. He reaches out and touches it gently, making sure it's real. It is, and when Ponyboy draws his hand back, he sees a small smear of blood across the tip of his index finger. He hopes it was already bleeding. He didn't mean to make Soda bleed.

Ponyboy has seen a lot of blood, but Soda's is different. Everything about Soda is different; it only makes sense that his blood would be, too. When Dallas bleeds, the red is angry, but when Sodapop bleeds, the red is almost cheerful. It's a happy, beautiful shade of red, like the color of sunsets and Cherry Valance's hair. He wishes it wouldn't dry and turn rusty. He wishes it would stay.

He smells bacon and hears the icebox opening, which means Darry will call them to eat soon. Before the blood can turn to rust (before Darry can interrupt), Ponyboy sticks his finger in his mouth. It comes out clean. He means it to be innocent -- nothing, really -- when he adapts the technique, leaning down to suck his brother's bottom lip into his mouth. He runs his tongue over it, cleaning away the drops of red. There's more blood than was on his finger, and it doesn't taste like he expects. It tastes sweet, not salty or metallic.

When he goes over it a fifth time, it doesn't feel innocent any longer. He sits back, hoping Soda's brown eyes won't be open and focused on him when he looks down. They aren't, and Ponyboy relaxes. He leans back and pretends to be asleep until Darry comes in to wake them for breakfast.


End file.
